This invention is in the field of devices for assisting in the movement of a patient from a lying to a sitting position, or vice-versa.
Many patient handlers of the past are so bulky, and cumbersome to use, that after nurses try them a time or two, they are set aside and gather dust.
A major objective of this invention is to provide a patient handler having a single set of stiff braces which are used in maintaining the patient handler in either a sitting or a prone position. The use of a single brace which functions in more than one way, cuts down the weight of the patient handler, and thus makes it easier to handle and transport. This is especially helpful for nurses who are of a small build.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a handler having sections in rigid horizontal alignment, for the shifting of a prone bed patient onto the handler, yet capable of assuming chairlike positions simply by adjusting the panels of the handler. This requires only two steps. There is no need to spend a great deal of time in rearranging chains, or in going through similar proceedures, as is often necessary in proposals of the past.
A further objective of this invention is to provide a patient handler which can be both moved and adjusted by one person who is working alone.
When my patient handler is lifted off of the bed, it can automatically take on a sitting position. This is accomplished by simply hooking the appropriate rings onto the carriage assembly when the patient handler is lifted from the bed. Similarly, when placed on a bed, it can easily take on a prone position.